Cable tie installation tool

Abstract

A tool for tensioning and severing elongate objects such as cable ties. The tool includes an angular frame having an extended nose, with a pivotally mounted lever. The lever is forwardly biased by a tension assembly including a tension link and expansion spring, while the cable tie is engaged between a flange and rotatable pawl at the forward end of the tension link. The nosing of the tool includes parallel blades having a user-adjustable separation, for severing cable ties of a wide range of strap thicknesses. The user tensions a cable tie by squeezing the lever toward a grip portion of the frame which is maintained stationary, and may sever the tie after tensioning using a simple twisting motion. The tool is simple, durable, and easy to operate, and is effective for tensioning objects within confined spaces.

We claim: 
     
       1. A tool for installing an item having a free end, comprising: a frame having an elongate nose portion forming an elbow with a grip portion at the rear end therof, said frame housing a pair of opposed jaws at its forward end having a pair of facing blades;   means for adjusting the placement of at least one of said jaws to fix the blades at a desired separation;   a lever pivotally mounted to the nose portion of said frame adjacent said elbow;   a tension arm slideably mounted in a slot of said frame and linked to said lever to move rearwardly in response to a pivoting of said lever towards said grip portion, said tension arm including means for gripping the free end of said item; and   means for forwardly tensioning said tension arm and said lever.   
     
     
       2. An installation tool as defined in claim 1, wherein the biasing means comprises an extension spring coupling the tension arm to the frame. 
     
     
       3. An installation tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the blades are respectively part of a first jaw integral with the frame, and a second jaw demountably connected to the frame. 
     
     
       4. An installation tool as defined in claim 3 wherein the second jaw is pivotally connected to the frame rearwardly of its blade, and is fixed to said frame adjacent the cutting edges so as to permit adjustment of their separation. 
     
     
       5. An installation tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the separation of said blades is adjustable between about 60 mils and 100 mils. 
     
     
       6. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said jaws comprise a first jaw integral with said frame, and a second jaw demountably fixed to said frame. 
     
     
       7. A tool as defined in claim 6 wherein the second jaw is pivotally mounted to said frame, rearwardly of its front end. 
     
     
       8. A tool as defined in claim 6, wherein the second jaw is adjustably mounted between two extremes defined by adjustably fastening said second jaw to the first jaw adjacent their front ends. 
     
     
       9. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein the jaws are integral with the tool body, and are separated by an elongate slot extending beyond the blades. 
     
     
       10. An installation tool as defined in claim 1 comprising: an angular frame;   a lever pivotally mounted on said frame;   a tension assembly connected to said frame and comprising a tension link slideably mounted in a slot of said frame and pivotally coupled to said lever;   said tension link being connected to a flange in said frame by an expansion spring to bias said tension link towards the front of said slot;   said tension link further including a transverse anvil and a rotatably mounted pawl which is urged in a counterclockwise sense by a tension spring to cause the pawl to press against the lower surface of said anvil;   a lower jaw with a blade thereon integrally connected to said frame and an upper jaw adjustably positioned on said frame relative to said lower jaw.